Hi I'm Kelly Bret Hart with
a very special edition of in your neighborhood today we're doing
a community spotlight of artists doctor writer and educator. Dr own county has
a unique history and I was seriously lucky to call this place home for the last
thirty five years we had the opportunity to sit down with him and talk about his
new art exhibit here at her soup kitchen and what influenced him to make these
beautiful poignant paintings.
Welcome honey and thank you for chatting with me today you can see that we are
surrounded by
a variety of your pieces of who are. First off I want to ask you how you knew
you wanted to be an artist did you always know and how did that take off. Well let
me first express my. Gratitude for you all the family of public
access T.V.
For hosting today. I do some work because you prick went to Lee but this is
a different situation where your guest and I thank you for your generosity and
vicious. Interaction that wonderful. If I
have to go back years ago in order to tell you how I felt about.
My life I really wanted to be an artist I'm
a friend is that I love that so much as as it didn't get
and I had it
a childhood that was not the happiest childhood in the world in was suffering as
wars it was last family. Dying under bombs and or
shooting from Arab ladies in parachutes hold it so it was it was
a different. Childhood but the pain added
a lot to my name it kind of level of maturity so I was not the child that.
Was really living is H.
I was a child who was living
a lot beyond that. Seven I felt then seventy I saw
a lot collecting. Some family members ashes from the rubble
when you are forty years old it has
a different meaning different. Effect and impact on you and this
impact live do is me and the only outlet for this was our. Is to right to to
maybe to escape from reality maybe to beautify the ugliness of what I have seen in
the the crudity of life and try to the truth of
sensibility and since dear it it and that's when I discussed my dead I
said I want to be an artist and and he looked at me like I'm
a very weird person and he said well we live in the Middle East here. And look
around you people are masses are hungry are ignorant sick and you are thinking
of making paintings for. And he started to look at me like totally out of
it and he said no I want you to think about something you can lose your life it's
more than. That can help people more you go and do need your time and then put
yourself at the service of these masses that are hungry and sick and do you think
that at home that doesn't have a piece of bread and butter would buy from you
a beautiful painting of apples and peaches and put it in the dining room which it
is not
a dining room to begin with is that what you want to do. Oh you thinking of making
a little new painting that people can put it to fit their nice bed in the bedroom
where there is no bedroom where there are twelve kids living on the floor. So
that's that's crazy so he was against that and that's probably how childhood
started between the. What I wanted to do
and work my father thought this is crazy. But eventually I
yielded to my father who was
a huge impact in my life and when he got sick and I saw
him. About to die and I said maybe if I had been
a physician I could have saved his life. And but eventually
I think you know my passion. About. I had to leave to
leave
a very glamorous very. Profitable career in order to
be sometimes
a starving artist but if you ask me I'm happy and I certainly if I go back I will
just repeat what I had done before. So you can definitely tell in your work that
these different life experiences have
a very big influence on them tell us more about the process behind. What your
thinking is before you begin to sketch or paint when I like you question because.
It's kind of going to be. A lot of. Things that I probably wasn't
able to talk about in other situations such as. How the
artist come up with the idea and what are the confinements that artists face.
Do you really want to just fit in to our community and become one to be accepted
everybody's doing abstract thought serialism or meaningless
kind of painting and do you want to do that because you want to be accepted or
if you do your own style accept the sacrifice that may.
Come about after that. And by this I mean you may not be able to sell human or be
able to join
a click or group. And you believe going to be an outcast are this
a person that doesn't do as we do so this question that you just
asked. Actually you have pinpointed the very important part which
is. Is the artist
a politician or the artist is doing art to express really his or her
emotions. And feelings anger anguish. Luck.
Whatever. And so I I myself
tried to be as honest as I can be and this eventually ends up with
various styles. I mean if you look at the series that. You have selected to be in
the background of our city today this is called Genesis and I looked at the
Bible and I read the chapter the Genesis the Book of Genesis
and. Turns
a little bit into about twenty seven. Prints and those are all
engravings by the way you know you work with. Plate and you
dig through the copper and it is not that you put in the acid there are some
teaching but but the main thing is is that engraving and it takes
a lot work. And I was lucky I didn't have too much.
Experiencing in grieving before I came to Iowa until I meet.
Professor very senior Meyer of the University of Iowa and this lady
till this moment I consider her the maybe the best I hear I mean I hate this
kind of description the best the number one but I have never seen in my life and
I've seen a lot I live in half I've seen
a lot in many many countries. Whether it's France. Italy were
a cop my education in our I have never seen anyone my vision your mind's eye.
And the power of the mind and master craft. As well as
the. Genius way of creativity. This
lady didn't have the chance to be you know in the world as Picasso or or even
you know as Giorgio. But when. The whole world
will go back and look at the work fish in your wires regime as is living healthy
and is doing work here very close to us here
a couple of miles out the virus city and I didn't hear cures studio. And
so I learned from hard how to do the lying and how to make those lines stable
this needs a lot of control and mind. Kind of static I don't want to use
a lot of jargon by the way because artists love to use
a lot of jargon OK I'll try to avoid as much of that can I mean moving
between the mind and the head movement and she was able to do that and I could
watch hard doing this with fascination so that in this
particular part I had
a stage in my life can I do this now I doubt but this was
a steep. Some people like to say well but he doesn't have
a style really and whether these dive you're going to is exhibit exhibit it looks
like there are twenty different artists it's true because.
This woman that I'm sitting with you can hear is different from the movie that.
Preceded that I would be different from the moment that we've all of that succeed
there. I'm not the same person I don't have the same feelings. And I had an
honest fit my expressed the moment that you. Know that's that's why
you see right that's why you don't see this.
Fits with this. But this is
a very. Quick. Touch with
a brush. And the brush is is is going. Like
a sketch. In order to make this this model was sitting there for about two
minutes and I did this in two minutes I didn't touch it before after that because
it's
a spontaneous reaction to what I have seen the lions and the proportions and the
religion and maybe the expression on her face. And her relation. Ship
with the background as
a foreground as front to the back. It is important what
kind of Congress they use here used black and white here in various colors you
should be
a reason for. Right because you know colors express your feelings to. Install
the indifferent from this world when there are three becomes a narrative
a story. And this is a story now you tell me what's
a story. Where I have my story but you have your own story because it
would have been there when you look at any piece of or you know what we call and
I'm going to excuse myself by saying I have to do this fusion
you feel your feeling on what the artist is of. And
eventually the sun will this the conclusion will be
a combined collective. And if. So here for instance what is the story
and beautiful lead the good part of it is bones that there is this differently
life and death here. And you know when you have a dancer and you have
a home and this is the maximum. Energy and feeling move
life who'd. Been the one that's on the poor holding this borrower
dinner is our book. There is there is
a move but then there is the mother of confusion here there is an order here.
Good perspective. Right vanishing point. And all that and
suddenly there is total disorder. So the whole thing is.
Trying to get into. Day sixty you're feeling and try to.
Put order and disorder to get. The life the beginning.
So this is different from this from this we're here I have the right to
look at the be. Human be as the flower.
And open and the heart here and then so it's the unity this one in particular
I don't remember the number but it's not the first but it's one of them where we're
. Human. Is in unity with the
universe with the environment with the plant life. And in this one
this is a. It's
a funny story this is the universe this is part of the universe the wall of the
uterus and. The circle that has this little.
Balls and there is is what we call in the morning there. The B.
. Of multiple circles still stem
cells all of them just beginning the B.B.
Is like
a cluster of grapes here. Before any difference here should be for any characterization
before any specialisation of the cells those with me are used to me hard labor this
is just the combined part so this is more of
a biological thing. Again here between the plant and the human cells
in between the alive and the decay the light ones are living cells and the dark
ones are dying cells. And if you look at those skills as
a biologist you will find them very accurate Still it has
a Euclid's might. Send her zones whenever it is you know
has
a cell wall it has plasma limit. It's biologically sound
correct but as an artist you look at it as
a composition you don't care if this is really too much in three
D.
Biologically correct hundred percent it's the whole thing is. As you see the
leaf here believe here is
a very living point but surrounded by all this serves
a dying. Again this is the age of what I think
life. Already. I was going to
address your point very recently and though you just are very well obviously but
as you've just explained you do have
a style that's unique in every one of your pieces of work and even at. Her soup
kitchen exhibit featuring your work there's different styles there's landscapes and
portraits so could you tell us what the process was and selecting those pieces of
work for the. I walk industry I meet some people and
something stimulates me something would give me. It can
be it can be looked at and I can be. A competition it can
be we. Can be a little. Pushing. A Leave
a way. You never know exactly what to be and sometimes when
a person comes to my point or. And I start it's like
impossible you can't complain but. This is the crime school is
a struggle it's an. Immediate to the border I go I see it Kelly please can
hear you. And getting that see why me and this is we're. This is
there of the old man coming to me saying what I want to do you portray it but you
know what I tell you I did it it caused me trouble many times I wasn't on the train
in Europe and. This woman was telling him that I hit
a little too even her eye and she was looking at the window for about two hours and
I started sketching I couldn't prevent myself from sitting next. For so I can see.
And I started screeching hard and then leave this guy behind me
a hand like
a dinosaur's hand on my shoulder but you can't do it and he carried me
like
a piece of I think you were trash. And he took the. Sketch
book and tore. That was our husband. And I was there on
his wife. And I am an artist I have no.
Intention of doing anything. To get out or get up and I was about
to be killed because something in her eyes was like calling me to do.
Anything And she she tried to see me. Actually she did. Well but
it was doing so I am telling you in two bigs artist you never know you never know
why or why you money for instance made all this water lily and keep doing water
lilies Yeah the first one sold the second one sold and but he kept doing it and
they started not to sell because that was just the repeated theme but yes we do.
I do modern and for me growing the model has nothing to do with
any sexual connotation I just I look at the body as
a genius composition and the would be able of this person is the energies playing
with her toes rate. Which is relaxing sitting in the sun with the reflection of the
sunlight on our end and I look at the relationship between the lines here how the
lines commute this kind of rhythm. And motion while she's sitting but everything
there is moving. So I try to capture. Or
or even if it is not a marble it's
a piece of cloth. Faults like this. Were never is. She
and they believe these forms can be in this kind of motion so sometimes the motion
or rhythm of the lines intrigues you so you want to capture. And.
Of course cannot to be. Treated except like
a study and we as as artists we do
a lot of. You can see the rhythm we hear in this print in this print is done by.
What we call for you standing in this was another technique that was developed by
the genius region your mind. Again she she developed the was no before
hard in the history of art there was no forest that she invented the machine
and she invented the technique and all the people who were around her. Kept at that
. And some of them are very very famous now the duties. Are very successful.
Technique you see the. Works in very special
technique Well again there is
a. You can take it can take this rhythm
can dicker very abstract. It is
a competition this is
a value I call it Highway to Heaven it's part of the end of
a series they did that to do with. Combining printmaking with speed.
After I print. I start to use the oil painting to
add some action to it you see that there is
a little leather here that going up there is
a fire. Whatever you want to see in smoke maybe
but it's a story in. The how I can share with you
a lot of things sometimes I because I like country music and other people being as
we love of country music and you do yes. And
Willie Nelson is one of the as
a pro it may be just intriguing and the first time I see
a concert. I went. To
a sketchy I mean I I did this was scuppered. As
a fan you know but this looks good and that's what comes out you know did I work on
it later you know I just left it as it was. I didn't really I could have done.
Colorist but I wanted to spontaneity of the moment. And. This is
all things that can stimulate or as you see.
Open up ideas in the mind. Let
alone the memories because sometimes when you or you start working on something
in the background there is an association there's something going on between your
memory and wants happening around you. And in the sea
in the become
a camera scene because you put yourself in there's somebody who said well I see in
every point if you do there is something about you there. Which is not
a very it's not exhilaration Yeah when you do a border it is
a matter for you do you point to view. And probably do I want to see.
I'm brought to me but I don't think we have enough time to show. You.
Tell us what your greatest achievement there's Of all your pieces of work and
my greatest achievement is different from my right
and. My green movement is in the area of medical history.
Where although I published a lot of medical books as
a scientist Iraq. I was I was nearly transplant the guy
in the presentation was just in C.P.
In the beginning. For sure rejection and all that I did authorization these areas
and I did
a lot of illustrations and I wrote them out chapters or articles in the medical
field that's not our topic today. And then but I did know other
medical illustrations from many books whether in Europe especially in England
or in the United States I worked on classic solutions
one of them as
a matter for his forming will. Be on which one. Merit
this book or. Who is the woman that stood by my side when I.
Decided not to do medical work and you. Know which is
a very difficult right. But this is another topic. So I he to he was one of the
by you news that plastic surgeons question that you form if you defeats kids who
are born with Cliff Cliff Cliff. And severe. Burdens
and distortions that happened in defeat he was
a master and then we had to get there he wrote the text and I industry
the actress school had less reconstructive surgery has been transmitted
to She'd been killed languages everywhere the last one was the year before last
year Chinese and has been going straight to Tripoli as Russian Cornish
Arabic Hebrew. And tense been all over the world and this is of course my.
Number one which is I was able to reach around six hundred.
Thirty two. It. Was my head. It took me five years
working every single day. And working with young English words not the easiest
plastic solution the middle there has
a meaning. If I do in then Mr Asian something needs out of this one believe me
I have to repeat it again we're not talking here about for too sharp or mad.
Mag. This is old hand meat plates
so I go to some of them just he would like this he said. Well here's
a serious. Cliff. Cliff pendants this is the problem and the
steps there's the surgeon. In order to treat this
but. To treat this congenital anomaly for instance and you
can look at it. By looking it if you would see that. It's not only that you have
to be to size in the anatomy but how long you decide incision should be and what is
under this kid you know Vandar the. What kind of muscle I'll think the most of it
is how many stitches do you have to put here. And what kind of tool you have to say
. This is this is the most difficult part of the whole. Process
is the. And I think. In order
to show you. Their music did some
grammar. Situation. And as usual I forgot the.
Right. You see here in front of you. You can sure miss.
Some of this is the chapter itself after of three you. Printed
and. You can see the. Roll in clear
how it is after it is printed in the book.
And you. Sometimes. Really put the printer.
Original one but here the copy is only to be combined in the.
Photographs with regular story showing that chose the surgeon step by
step to do. And this is actually this is the. Only.
I hope that somebody would be turning the T.V.
On opening this oh that's what they do for
a living so maybe I should go and get this book because here here you have the
Normally you see the lions that there is you know exactly where you're going to cut
and after you cut how we were going to reappear them step by step and this entails
that. In the poor me you would be sitting by the shoulder of the surgeon and I'm
a series of myself but this is not my area. And I look and I sketch
and after
a do the skids I have to go back and put them together. And then go I've been
meaning all no no no no you've got this
a little out. So I wait for the next week when another patient comes to pick
up what they missed or what I have left away. So what I
am trying to tell you that this is the most achievement the most pride is working
with my students that is the thing that. Nothing in my life equals
where I after left medicine I work with kids who are genius kids but they
are special kids in other words they are people who are struggling against all odds
in order to make it through life some kind be this poverty sometimes it is trying
to secure
a should sometimes simple. Misfortune unlucky. And
they are struggling and working with them teaching them are. I'm so proud that in
the. Exhibit that you are visiting with me today. At.
The. Soup kitchen you will see some of my kids work and there is
a piece that I have done with Sarah good. One of my kids
so I'm proud of the small scene where art that becomes part of
a. Process and motivation from kids to complete school and feel
good about their achievement. So how do you motivate your kids to make art.
Well number one you have to convince anyone including the people who.
Are doing thinking that you can do or that anyone can do or. I don't really believe
and. I know other people say oh you are
a talented man not that talented absolutely ideas. Had the right key to
put in the right place and turned it on and it worked because what were the the
human brain is able to do to achieve on the limit. You could be
better than the vision if you have the wind people in the village. It really
is very important that you practice and keep doing how you do this every single day
. Everything in preparation when you're invited me for this interview I
I didn't know what to get you and I just went to my food you and I kept digging and
you know things and that's why you see I made
a mishear on the. Surrogate and the bride and me and for us here
but this was but this is the moment this is the moment that I am so proud of where
I sit. With. My kids and do
a mural this week this mural we did among other murals in I was. This one we did in
children house. In a HUGE on
a huge war and this was about me be this twelve years.
And. You see here everybody is doing
something. Everybody and and we feel that I say
listen just express yourself all they can do is just
a little technical advice here and there but the main thing is their community that
you their ideas you see they are not looking at any sketch it's
a very spontaneous thing. And I'm just watching here making sure that the mixing
is OK that the wall is not going to crack after that and this printing is going to
fall down against technical advice but this is the most.
That's what I'm proud the most of. The Nikkei most here time these
days so making our Do you still teach are. Clearly
a tell you what. Art is is
a good part of my life and teaching is as equally important to me.
Now I am teaching could. Continue. And moves
not teaching for creative. Green this is I don't even think
that we can create art. If we can be dark because we will have zero.
Big Zero because he didn't do proportions he did in. The right way
come on I mean it's
a fact of life how about convincing How about Jackson Pollock who was carrying his
bucket. And asking his girlfriend to step on it and make certain impressions and
and then it sold for twelve million dollars. This people can get zero right if we
if we look at it over
a year ago the proportion of all this had is. No. That's not true.
So are these freedoms. So we cannot get it so I'm
happy that teaching classes know where my clients are retired professors in
the universe you some of them are should practice plastic surgeons and some are
doctors and. Lawyers and some are. Artists
and I am proud that they had for in Steve Atkins
a manager I was sitting in for many many many decades not years he was one of my
students. And he is already an established artist and I teach water color and.
Growth. So. I teach I do. Every single
day I do everything I do drawings for the precipitant.
And I do this. As part of the. Looks of some of my
drawings for the purses and I don't know if flexion I don't want Sarah to be very
angry with me because but
a little for. Her Mr Superior is the one who did the mural in front of
the. Regarding. If you see if you
stand by the entrance of the regatta it's in that. Parking ramp there there
is there are hands and. They are united together that's Mr city in the artist
and he spent some time this week in my studio. Those are all published that's
Mr. And the father of Peter in Iowa City if you if you don't sign up to
being are you are not in Iowa City in
a way for her like he and Humber variant on those like iconic symbol have you have
to pilgrimage. To them you know and.
The late Professor John McClure. He kitchen department and I write about
their stories and I write how about their success. And
Weinstein and his wife Nina why Misty is probably the greatest Canadian
American artist. Of the century. Very famous very
successful and he accepted my. Sketch.
So I do all this for the newspaper and I was lucky that the president is one coming
meet in that you know. And this is one of my
students Dr John can you be
a plastic surgeon the head of plastic surgery and I actually read his portrait and
wrote about him. And this is the famous I was city icon
Darden. And Megan in the skit shouldn't they did for him.
Another very important artist Rick Perry Weber and his
daughter who was my student by the way and I talk about him and about and
he was one of the people are going I saw him playing it was his you see the
difference between the published one and the original. This is just
a copy of of Mr one so are you going to listen I have been doing this for about
this is somebody did this with this for me. Actually Richard Williams is professor
of art and art Did you question here. And she did this for me.
So. This is again another think that doing it every day it's like driving
it's like Chris It's like practice makes but. We born with certain
genes it makes how you call the genius or
a good artist Absolutely and. I'm just having to persevere stamina
to sit down and stood watching T.V.
Twenty four hours or playing with
a face book or going to see it. But. You.
Have to do it every day. These are all beautiful pieces of art and
it's clear every single one of them up there
a lot of different aspects of life that inspired you and this want to thank you
again for sharing with me all the sharing your life and sharing your thoughts
about that it's truly been an honor to ask you these questions as
a matter of fact I have I have to thank the public or Steve you're doing
a major service to this community and I have been here for thirty five years and
I've never seen
a team of people working relentlessly in order to make things better for
our community more than you do. And I been impressed with the work you personally.
I mean people talk to people in the street and during our first
music patients and. I've been impressed at the time we're all developing you're
right and of course we miss the gene. And all that the new Even the joy of
joys of living here in his effort to me. These are very important
policy at the center of culture and acceptance. Daughter.
In our community Well I think you very much to be here and I consider it
a privilege to be able to. Talk about things which. Means
a lot to us and we enjoy working with you too and you definitely look forward to
seeing more of your art in the future thank you you thank.